Receiving Retribution
by Cheviot
Summary: Three months after Centipede is captured, life is just starting to begin again. After being in the hands of torturers that are far worse than Jason, our precious "Haise" attempts to start a new life. With his amnesia, it might end happily for once. Or is that another cruel joke that he was brain-washed into believing? Rated M for torture.
1. Chapter 1

REceiving REtribution

Summary: Three months after Centipede is captured, life is just starting to begin again. After being in the hands of torturers far worse than Jason, our precious "Haise" attempts to start a new life. With his amnesia, it might end happily for once. Or is that another cruel joke that he was brain-washed into believing? Rated M for torture. No romance unless you look into it.

Thanks for reading.

I can swear I hear a soft voice whispering in my ear. Maybe it's a song. Maybe Kafka's tragic stories. The voice is kind and caring and unfortunately interrupted by a monstrous screeching. I immediately miss the nostalgic whisperings as my own strained throat runs dry. I can't take the time to notice that my eyes neglected to give tears. I thrash in my bonds like a wild animal would in a trap. Bloody and lacerated limbs pulling away their own skin and flesh as they attempt to escape from the iron claws of their predator.

The pain crammed into my body is unlike any hardship before. I can feel that much worse things had happened to me. Another voice (raspy and wretched) mumbles to me mindlessly and it sent unwanted longing into my being. I deny it. I reject it in its entirety. The raspy voice of the monstrous vermin rises until it matches the screeching that fills the dry air.

It becomes a barrage of discordance as even more voices come together. These noises circle around me. They seem to prefer their metal quills filled with rat poison rather than any antidote. It comes down and punctures my thigh in the time a hummingbird could flap its fragile feathers. Dear Kafka, save me again with your gentle words. Tell me of 'The Cross-Breed' or my gentle 'Metamorphosis' once more. Tell me of that blissful lamb that was turning more into a growling cat with each passing day. That man (I think he existed) with his white hair… His knife glinted against his glasses as he caged me.

I'm pushed against cool metal as even more leathery restraints are placed so tightly that I can feel the loss of circulation. Another spike injected into my skin. This time it goes through my spine vertically. I straighten immediately. I've now lost feeling of my body and the terrible screeching has passed. I'm thankful because the sound was unnerving.

There are more words yet they almost sound foreign compared to the beautiful language my mind claims to remember. It's the language of my home… my old and antique home. An image of a tall prideful mountain appears. Golden Buddha. A bustling summer crowd. A pond with frogs. I look to the faces but they are distorted. There, right there in the sunset, it's The Faceless sitting next to me as we gaze at the stars. The Faceless as she takes my order. The Faceless as she interrupts my peace of mind with her ramblings of Faceless mothers. The Faceless Japanese.

That's surely the language. Now I remember the words and letters and numbers. I think I'm counting again, except backwards. It makes a melody as the counting matches with the sounds of deafening drilling into my bones. These sevens… Times that by twenty and nine. Add three. Divide by two. Take that number and derive from it the number of times I've (half) died. Another leather strap is placed as a muzzle and I bite down on it like my last meal.

That putrid taste of a cow's skin is what finally makes me realize the hunger gnawing on me. I'll live another day. Aren't their starving children? I envy them. Let me trade places.

I can't drift into a peaceful sleep like I wish I could. It's a stubborn insomnia and I'm pushed into sitting position. My hands are now secured tightly behind me with thick chains cutting into my wrists. The gag is removed and I audibly gasp for fresh air. An unseen visitor sits before me, only his heavy breathing gives him away.

"You are Haise Sasaki." The smooth voice claims. I wonder who this person is directing their words unto. I pull against the chains. I swear that I can't feel my fingers. "You are Haise Sasaki. Haise Sasaki."

My voice strains as I repeat the unique words; "S… S…. Ssssa… S-sasa.. Ssasasa… k.. ki? Wh-Wh… Who?" It's that raspy and wretched voice again that speaks for me. I'm struck by something but it really isn't anything. It's just a small drop in the goblet already overflowing.

"You are Haise Sasaki," The voice repeats. I already knew that. "You are known as Haise Sasaki."

A broken record plays in the background, repeating that same line once more followed by once more. I think I've memorized it by now… Maybe once more just for the sake of it. It becomes a lullaby eventually. Sweet 'Rock-A-Bye' and a Faceless mother joins to sing of her love to me. The soft voice I heard when I awoke comes back to me as I begin to drift again. I hear it. It's as clear as the broken record and the pitter-patter of water dripping into the goblet. Sunshine… You make me happy… I think I'm begging now but I'm not sure if it's for The Faceless mother to sing louder or for the record to silence.

"You are Haise Sasaki."

I drift into that peaceful sleep that I imagined, but my dreams are a blank slate. Sleeping is such a breeze. Twelve hours go by before you realize that you had once closed your eyes. I regretted not saying my prayers but how would I say them? I suppose I could plead for that lullaby to be burned onto the record, but I would have nothing to offer in return. Doesn't there have to be a sacrifice? I haven't given anything. Have I?

I wake again wanting a midnight snack. I can still here the voice in the background, but now it sounds like a recording. It drones on and on. I went back to sleep because I found my limbs too tired to fight the binds.

"Who are you?" The smooth voice asks by the next day. I jog my memory, not wanting to disappoint. My body is feeling a mosquito-bite pain better and so I'd rather not again return to the slightly worse state. My memory seems a bit hazy… Yes, that's right. Haise.

"Haise-" I jump at the sound of the answer. It hurts my wrists and I let out a soft hiss of pain. "Sasaki."

"You are Haise Sasaki. You are definitely Haise Sasaki. What was your name before?" I'm sure that the answer to that one is here too. I think again of The Faceless. I try to imagine what they looked like. I think one had teeth. The Faceless woman… Wasn't she pretty? Didn't she say my name prettily? Walking home… Home. It wasn't a memory of a woman this time but I think I know a name.

"Come on. Think."

"H-Hi… H-Hide. Wasn't-sn't I-I-I H-Hide?" I feel so strongly connected to that name. That raspy voice keeps suggesting that we were one of the same. "Hideyoshi Nagachika."

I hear sharp intakes of breath around the room. The sound of shifting air is replaced by the spiked whip as it slashes against my back. Again. A skyscraper sunflower climbs to the sky, as if on the wings of an angel. It strikes again. A rabbit is running through a field of clovers as it is hunted. Again. A. A few more times. Twice more. Until the blood runs in rivers and someone cries to the torturer to cease his responsibility. I sit jerking violently in my chair. There's another shout. At the end of a long hallway, someone commands that my restraints be tightened. It took two hours before I calmed down again.

"Nobody has ever gone by that name. You have always been Haise Sasaki. You are Haise Sasaki."

...

I won't be able to upload again until at least Wednesday, but it's already typed. Thank you so much for reading. Please tell me what you think (I love critiques!). reviews also make my chronic loneliness go away.


	2. Hospital Delight

The next morning I was no longer hungry, but there was a sore feeling etching down my throat. I wonder what I ate that hurt my stomach so badly and yet left such a sweet taste on my tongue. Hopefully it was a delicious meal of melon or burger. I'd settle for a salad of crisp lettuce and plump tomatoes. Crunchy croutons would lay at the bottom along with the dressing. The dressing would complete it with the taste of Italian Vinaigrette. I could also fall in love with a crepe. Banana and strawberry. I'd ask for extra whipped cream on top. It seems as if it's been years since I've had one of those. I wonder if I'll be able to try one again one day.

After a few minutes of thinking of delicious food, I fall asleep again for the rest of the day. The emptiness is relieving. There's nothing to turn my hair white with stress.

The day after that, I spend my five waken moments wondering what kind of place I was in. I decided that I must be in Hell or some terrorist organization. As long as it's just me being tortured, I'm sure everything will be okay. I couldn't bear it if I found out that some Faceless fellow were being tortured beside me.

The next day after that, I don't wake up. It's twenty four more hours of emptiness.

After that, I wake up on what seemed to be a cloud. Cumulus; the kind that the angels nap upon. My hands are rested on my stomach, but I can still barely move them. They feel weighted. I'm still as a terracotta soldier. A thick yet light layer of softness is on top. My head rests against a golden fleece.

The heart monitor beeps at a steady pace; reminding me that I'm still alive. There's a shuffle to my left side, but my eyes are glued shut. Despite my wakened state, I lay still as to not alert whoever is watching me so closely. I steady my breathing. The heart monitor speeds up, but not noticeably unless you are in a state such as mine; the state of having nothing to think about. There's a soft humming, but it's not for my sake. Nobody sings or hums for you unless they don't exist, such as The Faceless.

The sound of footsteps travels across the floor. The monitor picks up and I feel a bit of regret; the sound must already be annoying the people around me. There's the scraping of wood against stone.

"What did you do?" A man's voice asks angrily. There's a huff of a breath. The footsteps stop at the end of the bed and the heart monitor beeped unevenly.

"I didn't do anything. You can't just blame me for everything you know," Another man quietly growls. "He's just hyperactive, is all."

"If you laid a single hand on my patient." There's a pause lasting three seconds. The heart monitor is the only thing filling the air in this time. "Fine, I suppose you're okay."

"So what's wrong with the thing?" The Non-Doctor asks. I hear a tapping on metal. There's a gentle touch to my face, to the side of my left eye.

"Don't do that. It can't see anything anyways. The thing wouldn't know if it nearly died in this sort of state." I wonder the subject of their conversation, and I come to the conclusion that the thing must be me. I'm human but I've gained the status of an object. It's not as if I'm angry or anything. My name does sound like a new toaster brand. "It's probably just woken up a little."

"Well, that's bad isn't it? Shouldn't you inject some drugs in him or something so that he goes back to sleep?" I hear a clink of glass and sloshing of liquid.

"No, that won't be necessary. The thing probably can't even think straight. Getting shanked in the brain usually doesn't leave you in the best state. Here, have some raspberry tea. The others will be here soon enough." I heard the raspberry tea as it was poured in a cup. The room smelled of plastic and the blanket was soft under my fingertips. I knew all these things and yet I couldn't even tell the hair color of the doctor.

I always imagined that being blind would be like looking around a black room, but it was more like trying to see out of the bottom of your feet. It just wasn't there. Still, I can imagine the colors. I know that the room is white. The raspberry tea is a brownish red. The men's pupils are black and their sclera is white. Their blood is a deep red, redder than the tea. It's not really the same.

The feeling of having a handicap is so overwhelming, it's like a lesser scale near-death experience. It's horror but my eyes won't give any tears. They stay caged in my eyes and cling like a begging child. My hands clench into fists and I hear a shuffling.

"Are you sure it's alright?" The man asks the doctor. The doctor must have made a silent gesture. There's a creaking sound instead of his voice.

"Doctor Yamauchi, Mr. Washuu," Says a sudden female voice. I would have shuddered if I wasn't trying my hardest not be noticed. "There are three CCG members downstairs waiting for you."

"Who did they send?" Asks the non-doctor man, whom I now know as Washuu. There is a clink; he sets his drink on the table.

"Arima, Mado, Hanbee, and a younger uhmm… boy, I think," The woman replies. "Should I send them up?" I start to wonder how the nurse could have mistaken the gender, but I don't think about it too much. The names remind me of The Nameless. Was one of them related to my companion whispering Kafka? Maybe it was more Kafka instead of the whisperer.

"It must be Suzuya. Go ahead," Says Doctor Yamauchi.

"Make sure the younger one doesn't break anything," Washuu comments. Yamauchi laughs but he quickly stops. "I don't want any extra expenses. This thing is already over our budget."

"Yes, sir." The door creaked again as it closed. The room became silent for a moment, so much that I would have thought that they had left as well. The heart monitor begins to steady again.

"Shouldn't you be doing something about those irregular palpitations?" Washuu asks the doctor. Maybe I should have just stayed nervous. My warm blanket is removed and cool piece of metal is slid along my skin. It stops a while at my chest and my breathing is gauged. I steadily attempt to calm my mind but I can't seem to do anything about the frantic thoughts. Something sharp is pressed against my side. I whimper a little as it stings my already bruised skin.

"It's fine. Nothing can go wrong."

"Doctor Yamauchi! Please, we don't need the thing eavesdropping on us. Set it asleep," commands Washuu. "If you don't set it asleep, I will have it so that someone else does."

"I am the lead doctor for this patient, Washuu. Nobody else has the authority and I don't need anybody threatening me. I have had enough young men and women commanding me about when it comes to things that they know not a thing about." I don't know what this may mean to me, but I'm pretty sure the doctors on my side (Even if I'm referred to as 'it').

"I could have you fired for this, you know. I'm an associate special class, you're the junior here. Hand over the sleep medicine."

"Stop it! What are you doing? You aren't authorized!" Cries Yamauchi. There's the clang of metal clashing together and I can feel the bed moved about three feet as it is knocked into. Needles that once rested in my arms are jerked off. Other machinery also leaves me and the heart monitor begins a continous screech.

I'm dead. Maybe I was already dead by the time Doctor Yamauchi first woke me. My whole body is on fire and the cackling of the flames is drowned out by the rush of nurses running into the room.

"Let go of me!" Yells Washuu. "I'm trying to help you."

"Shut up, Washuu. Your yelling is hurting my ears," a familiar voice says. It's almost a whisper and I have to strain my ears to hear.


	3. Unwelcome Visitors

"Shut up, Washuu. Your yelling is hurting my ears," a familiar voice says. It's almost a whisper and I have to strain my ears to hear.

"Y-Yes," Washuu stutters. I would too if I had to converse with that cold voice.

"Thank you so much for coming, Arima." Says the Doctor. The bed is screeched back into place and cool metal is pressed against my skin again. "There was a bit of a disturbance."

"He seems to be stable, Doctor. Just a little shaken up. His heart is still beating really strongly," Says a feminine voice from my right. I wince as needles are shoved back into the punctures on my arms. The heart monitor begins beeping quickly again. "See?"

"Don't worry, Arima. The thing won't become a problem," Mumbles Yamauchi. "It's all under control."

"What the hell were you doing?" Arima questions. "You could have killed him. Thank God I stepped in before it got too far."

"I'm sorry, Arima!" The Doctor says. "I didn't mean-"

"Not you, Yamauchi. It's this little idiot that I'm talking to." interjects Arima. "So, what unintelligent excuse do you have for me today, Washuu?"

"Well-" Begins Washuu in a shaky voice. There's a shuffling and there are the nurses' fingers tracing all over my skin. I feel that both me and Washuu are trapped in a corner, but it's only me that I'm worried about. Washuu isn't being restricted and drugged. I would gladly change places with him but that can only be a dream.

"Just go stand in the hallway."

"Yes, sir." Washuu walks to the exit and the door closely loudly behind him. Now it's only me and a group of new enemies. There's a firm poke to my cheek. A searing pain sprouts from the location. My teeth clench tightly as I try to bear it.

"Arima Sensei! He seems to be awake! What ever will we do?" Exclaims a childish voice. "So many scars..."

"Step away from him, Juuzou," Says someone. I can't find my joy that they're actually referring to me as though I'm a person. I'm still very nervous and afraid. "He's dangerous."

"Doctor Washuu, how is his health right now?" Asks Arima.

"He is extremely damaged and I do believe he may be conscious right now. His heart rate has been extremely irregular. One minute it is calm and the next it's a horse race, but mostly the problem is the number of wounds he has. The continue to reopen regularly so he has to have his bandages changed about once an hour. We're beginning to fear infection," Washuu says. There is a shuffle of papers. I had been hoping that was all. "There are many broken bones. Ribs, skull, both legs, a few bones in each hand. His spine is broken in many places and it's a miracle that he is not permanently paralyzed. His eyesight is completely gone. If he were a regular human, he would have to stay in the hospital for over a year and then go through rehabilitation for quite a few years."

"Then were lucky that he's not, aren't we?"

The heart monitor goes insane. What does that mean? I think that they're saying I'm not worth being called human, but this usually doesn't qualify somebody to be not physically. Don't I have flesh? They named all the parts that a human would usually have. I wonder the difference. I'm sure I'm one of them. I don't understand. My brain is refusing to cooperate and it hurts.

"Restrain him!" Yells out Yamauchi. My shoulders are pushed down and my arms are pulled from my sides. With all my strength, I gently thrash. Yet, it doesn't make a difference. I can still barely move. My arms a strapped down along with my torso and legs. There's the same sound of metal clanging together.

"Yamauchi, stop."

"Arima?"

There's a clapping sound and a giggle. "Why stop? This is so fun." It's doesn't seem that way to me.

"Be quiet, Juuzou," Says Arima. "Yamauchi, please sit the patient upright. I wish to speak to him." I think I'm going to have a heart attack.

"He's hardly in the right state for that," Replies a nurse. "He's already very unsafe. He could have a seizure or worse."

"We'll take the risk."

"Mr. Arima..." Says Yamauchi. "This really isn't the best idea."

"Doctor, please. I'm not going to attack you like Washuu did. I'm a bit more professional than that. However, this patient is my property." Property?

I'm a vermin. A monster. An item. An 'It'. I'm inhuman and now I'm property. I just want to be Haise Sasaki. The straps are undone and I'm pulled into a sitting position, hurting everything. My head won't stay up, so it's propped with another soft pillow.

"Who are you?" Asks Arima. It's directed straight at me.

"He's still pretty drugged," Says a nurse. "Here, let me just..." A needle is injected and It's like an instant coffee wake up.

"I asked who you are. Tell me your name."

"Hai-Hai-se Sa-Sak-Sasaki," I sputter. If this were like anything before then the whip would follow. "Sa-Sasaki. Saki-Sasaki."

"Good, Sasaki. You're doing so well. I'm going to tell the nurses to leave now so I want you to answer all my questions." There were a shuffling of feet as they exited. The bed creaked as he sat down at the end.

"S-Sasaki." I say again more smoothly. "Haise Sasaki."

"You've already said that, now haven't you? Don't repeat things unless I ask you to; It gets annoying. Do you understand?" He asks. I want to beg for an apology, but I go for a simple answer.

"Ye-Yes. Y-" I reply.

"Can I ask him some things to, Sensei? Please say yes," Asks Juuzou. "Oh, just please say yes!"

"Suzuya, do you understand that I just asked for things not to be repeated? Your chances just dropped forty percent."

"Really?" Asks Juuzou in a whiny voice.

"Yes," Replies Arima. "Now Haise, how do you feel?" I feel like I'm being crushed between two beds of nails, thanks for asking.

"Bad."

"Please be a little more descriptive when you answer. One or two word answers won't be suitable. Where does it hurt?"

"Ever-Everywhere," I say. "It hurts all over."

"Your speech is already improving. It's still coarse but I'm sure it will be fine by the time we're done speaking. Can you see anything?"

"No. Please forgive me," I whisper. He's being so kind that it must be a trap. I should attempt to get him to be a bit more sympathetic to me, but right now it seems to failing. The bed creaks a little.

"Can you see any light?"

"No." It's still as though the world has disappeared.

"That's a one word answer-"

"Please forgive me!" I realize that I interrupted him after I do. I bite my lip and immediately prepare for the worst. This cold man probably has the leather whip in his back pocket so I prepare myself. I pull my arms to my stomach and clutch my bandages like life support.

"Calm down," He says. There is slight pressure on my stomach and I whimper as he pulls my hands away. His nails dig into my skin. "We don't want you to have a heart attack."

"Arima," Yamauchi says. "Isn't this a bit much? All the conditions that he currently has. You'll scar him more than physically."

"It's fine. He's already scarred. Sasaki, what do you remember?"

"Washuu was upset."

"I mean before today. Do you remember yesterday?"

"I slept."

"That's only two words. Please don't make things more difficult than they have to be. What do you remember?"

"Th-The W-Whip... And ch-chains. Someone saying my n-name," I reluctantly reply. Now that I've said the words they will surely bring the devil. He shuffles. "Please forgive me!"

"You keep apologizing like that yet Arima has yet to forgive. How fun," says Juuzou. "You're really sad! Oh, wait..."

"What are you doing?" Asks a man's voice.

"Shush, Hanbee. I just realized something," There was a jingling. I felt something land on my lap. "That's for you!"

"Juuzou," Arima starts. "Why?"

"That's a secret, Senpai! Maybe I'll tell you if you let me question him now."

"In a little while. Sasaki, do you recognize any of us?"

"No," I reply. They do bring to mind The Faceless but there is nothing in particular. There's nobody Faceless face is more prominent than the others. Thinking of it is like trying to find a fourleaf clover in a desert. My fingers curled.

"I see... Well, do you know how you got into the hospital?" Then someone did appear. It's a beautiful woman. I almost feel guilty as though I'm not supposed to think of her anymore. Although her eyes seem enchanting and her beautiful skin is alluring, there is a hint of disgust. I think of a poem again... I suppose I read a lot before. My mind immediately skips to "For That He Looked Not Upon Her".

"I was attacked." I'm silent for a moment and when he seemed like he was going to say no more, I said, "There was a lady who attacked me." I hear Suzuya giggle a little and Arima silences him.

"Do you know what you are?" He asks in a serious tone.

"Haise Sasaki," I answer immediately. I think over what he said again and I realize what he asked. "Forgive me! I mean, I'm human." What a weird question to begin with. Saying I'm anything but is probably just a joke. Technology isn't advanced enough for robots and I'm pretty sure I would know even if I were one. Robots don't bleed.

"Well, I suppose we'll talk about that a little later. I'll have another question for you later as well. Suzuya, I'm going to talk to the doctor. You, Hanbee, and Akira can go ahead and ask him anything as long as it's not to personal. Try to give him some answers too. There will be punishments if he isn't safe when I get back." And with that, Arima leaves me with the others. I don't know whether to feel relieved or afraid. It's a mixture of both.

"So, Sasaki-san, what's your favorite color?" Suzuya asks nonchalantly.

...

I would like to thank all the readers for the continued support. Also, a big thanks to Purpleswans for being the first reviewer. I'll try to make this as interesting as possible! I'll be updating whenever my chapters are complete, but I will only update at a maximum of one chapter a day (New chapters usually bring new readers). Anyway, has anybody heard anything about a third season? I kind of want my Sunflower Prince back...


	4. Three Choices

-Arima's POV-

"Please forgive me, Arima. I'll try harder," Washuu says to me while bowing his head. I fold my arms and make a mental note when I see the fading and sly smile as he lifted his head upwards. It isn't the first time I've seen it, so Washuu is making me want to replace my calm countenance. I simply sigh and brush my hand through my white hair.

"Don't apologize like that. You sound just like that pathetic child. I'll let it slip as long as you don't repeat this incident," I reply. He smiles again, this time out of joy instead of mischievous planning. However, it fades when the words sink in.

"You actually talked to that thing?" He asks. "Arima, I think it may be getting a bit too dangerous to keep the ghoul around. That is what he is. No matter how much brainwashing he is subjected to, you won't be able to change this fact."

"Washuu, I don't appreciate continuous insubordination. I quite understand this fact." He looks at me with shock. I would be nice to laugh at his idiotic expression, but I have restraint. I'm tired of having to deal with these sort of people every single day. It was enough stress to simply bring Juuzou along with me.

"I'm sorry, sir. Thank you quite very much, sir," He mumbles.

"Go back to the headquarters. You are no longer needed at the hospital," I say. Washuu nods and grabs his briefcase from the floor. He walks away without another word and I'm relieved. I don't need more trouble from him. After he's disappeared from my line of view, I turn to the copy of the medical records I was given.

The boy is pretty battered up. He should be for living through a fight with me. Never before have I let a ghoul escape that grasp of death. I walk into his hospital room and his condition still makes me want to look away.

While his worst injuries are wrapped in many layers of bandages, he still has countless cuts and bruises. Some of them had been there before, many of them had been acquired in our fight, but there were still some recent ones. White scars etch what parts of his face I can see. His lips are busted in multiple places and bleeding lightly. His starch-white hair contrasts sharply with the purple bruises everywhere else.

His eyes are wrapped in bandages as well, but I know that they are still sickly pits. The medical records say that his eyes haven't even began to regenerate. I know that the torturous brainwashing can't be helping the situation. Due to the torturer's anger, his back is covered in even more scars.

"Do you like books?" Juuzou asks him. He is still very tense even though Juuzou has probably asked him more questions by now than there are answers.

"That's enough, Juuzou," I say to him. Juuzou lets out a sigh and sits down on the floor. I come to the middle of the room.

"Fine, but I didn't even get to the really important questions!" He exclaims. I give him a questioning look and Juuzou rolls his eyes. "You know, like what part he likes to eat first."

"Juuzou, go sit with Hanbee." Juuzou gets up from his spot on the floor and goes back to his chair against the wall. He reaches over to Hanbee's hair to play with it, much to the other's annoyance.

"Now, Haise. I have a very important proposition for you. You have three choices. The first is to spend the rest of your days in Cochlea as you continue to be a test subject. Basically you would give your body to science. The second is die. I can't promise either of these things won't be painful. The third is to come with me."

"With you? W-What?" He whispers.

He tilts his head up slightly as if searching for me. Despite the blank appearance, I can tell that he is slightly fearful.

"Yes. You would stay with me and I would have complete control over you. Well, it's that way no matter what. But if you came with me then I would have direct command."

"Dea- N-No. No. I can't do that," he mumbles. He breathes in as if the air is hardly there at all. Contemplating fate is always tough. "Or… Pl-Please. I'll st-stay with you if that's my only fa- choice for living." I have a look of worry on my face that I'm glad he can't notice. His fingers twitch and slowly move to touch his face. His mouth opens slightly when the contact is made and I can't tell whether it's out of pain or surprise.

"Then the decision is made," I reply. "You will be joining me when I leave." I'll probably have to carry him out, but it won't be too much of a bother. The boy won't struggle and his sickly thin body shouldn't be too heavy.

"Arima," says Yamauchi, "I won't object to you taking the thing, but it will take a bit to get it prepared. It's condition won't allow it to move too much. It'll practically be bedridden for quite some time."

"Get him prepared to leave," I say. "I'll let us stay for an hour, but after that I must get going. Also, have it made so that I can easily transport him to the car."

"If you do that, his scars will most likely reopen. Do you know proper medical procedures to stop his bleeding?" Yamauchi asks. However, it still doesn't matter too much to me.

"All CCG investigators are required to have medical training. I am very well prepared, thank you."

"Fine, but the other investigators need to leave. I'm going to call the other nurses in so I don't need this place crowded." He gestures to Mado, Hanbee, and Juuzou. Juuzou is now braiding Hanbee's hair when he suddenly jumps up.

"We'll be going to see Shinohara now," Says Juuzou happily. He skips out with a cheery look on his face. Akira follows him with her held high as she strolls to the door with that same prideful look. Hanbee looks down as he drags his feet along the floor. It's the same as always. Just from the way they walk, I silently take more mental notes on the type of person they are and the likelihood that they will survive. I think back to Haise walked but I find that I can't quite remember. Was it a stumble or did he walk with the small footsteps of a mouse?

Yamauchi had called the nurses and they were now coming in, pushing past the awkward thing that is Hanbee. I search for the identification on their pure white uniforms and find the two women were Saito and Takenaka while the man was Adachi. Two of them have very serious looks on their faces, but Takenaka looks absolutely terrified.

"Doctor, after this I will be taking the boy to a private doctor in the CCG Laboratory Division. Are you familiar with Mr. Shiba? He has lots of ideas," I say. It is mostly directed towards Yamauchi, but partly towards the now calmer nurses.

"I wish you the best of luck with that," replies Yamauchi. Saito steps forward and gently takes out the IV and heart monitor cords. Haise twitches and the woman jumps back.

"Anesthetize him," suggests Yamauchi. Saito looks over to him and Takenaka clasps her hands together nervously. "He can't do anything."

"But Doctor…" Mumbles Takenaka. Adachi steps forward and takes the chemicals from the cabinet. Lazily grabbing a needle, he fills it with a suitable amount and moves over to Haise. Saito and Takenaka nervously watch as he injects him and truthfully it's a bit amusing watching them struggle.

Yamauchi takes bandages from the cabinet and sets them on the bed. As he slowly begins to unravel the dirtied ones, I want to turn away. However, it's hypnotizing.

They are peeled away and wound after wound is revealed. The blood is red as cherries and it drips away from the black lacerations. The skin seems to be stained with this vermillion as well as many shades of purple bruises. What once was firm muscle is now nothing but fresh tragedy. I only manage to return to reality once new bandages begin to be wrapped around him. There's at least ten layers before Yamauchi finally snips the fabric and secures it tightly. I can imagine that the boy can hardly breathe. Even before, he was inhaling and exhaling deeply.

Yamauchi straps a back brace onto him and he reminds me of a warrior or a samurai; except a defeated one. He begins to wrap the bandages around his eyes, but this time I do look away. I'm the one who caused such a thing and yet I can't even watch? Isn't this pathetic? The nurses have already taken a few steps away. I think Takenaka is crying.

"Come over here, Adachi. Saito and Takenaka, you two can go take a break. We'll talk about this later."

"I can do it!" Saito claims.

"I know. However, right now I think it's best if you leave." Adachi comes to the side of the bed as Saito and Takenaka leave. "Get that wheelchair from the closet. You're going to have to lift him into it." Adachi gets it and I sit down in a different seat as I watch the events unfold.

"I'm not sure I know how," Adachi mumbles.

"It's not like were moving a person, so just pick him up and set him in the chair. I'm a bit too old for this kind of stuff." Yamauchi says with a bit of a smile. Adachi nods but I can tell that he still isn't sure.

He puts his arms around him carefully; Not for Haise's sake but his own. Slowly, he pulls Haise into a position that allows him to carry him bridal style. He lifts him up as though he is a fragile doll and slowly moves him until Adachi is standing in front of the chair. I stand up as Adachi lowers him down. Adachi's head is covered in sweat even if Haise seems light as a feather due to malnourishment.

"I'll take it from here," I say to him. He looks up gratefully.

It's going to be a long drive home.

...

Author's Note: Thanks for the continued support! The next chapter will probably be up soon.


	5. Tinman Loses Peace Of Mind

The stress of living with a ghoul can be too much for a human to handle. Even for the undefeatable ghoul investigator.

...

This was a week ago.

The drive home was relatively quiet. So quiet that it was unsettling and I turned on the radio for the first time in years. The radio could also be heard in my house for the next few days, playing classical music. I never bothered the ever sleeping Haise, except to change his bandages once every few hours. Then I would leave the room immediately. It was becoming quite a loathsome responsibility.

I sat in my dining room, drinking tea in a slow manner as the time drew closer. There was a knock at the door and I inwardly sighed. _Thank God_. I pulled myself up from my comfortable chair and dragged my feet to the door. It was Akira and Taishi. I could probably get Taishi to change the bandages for me.

I opened the door and welcomed them by nodding my head and gesturing for them to come in. Akira gave me a small smile and Taishi smirked.

"Good morning, Arima. We came to take over so that you could get back to the headquarters," Taishi said. I couldn't express how grateful I was for this simple statement.

"Welcome. That would be great," I replied. Taishi and Akira slips their shoes off of their feet. I frowned at Akira's mismatched socks. I expected her to be a bit more professional, but I supposed it might have been a long week for her as well. Her blouse also has cat hair on it. I refrained from directing her to a lint roller right then and there.

"I also have his next appointment time. Has he woke up?" Akira asked. We start to make their way to my sitting room.

"Haise?" I asked. Akira nodded. "No. When did he last eat?"

"Did you even look at the files?" Taishi asks. I crossed my arms as I sat back into my recliner. Taishi and Akira sit on the leather couch.

"Of course. However, it's been a long week," I explained.

"Then you're lucky that we're here, aren't you? He ate five hundred grams last week. With his physical condition, you should be needing to feed him again in four days, Monday," Akira said. _Only four days? How the hell am I supposed to_ _handle that?_

"Taishi…" I said. He turned to look at me.

"No way," He said automatically. "I'll change the band-aids, but that's the only thing I'm here for."

"Don't worry, Arima," Akira said. "I'll take care of everything that Taishi refuses to do. You don't have to worry."

"I'm very grateful," I replied. Akira smiled.

"You're welcome. Anyway, what I was going to say is that Haise's appointments will restart on tuesday, after he's eaten. The first part only took away his previous memories, now we have to convince him that we're the good guys. We're not sure if it will be easier or harder than the first task."

"Will they be using punishment methods on him again?" I asked. I didn't want to be changing the bandages for eternity.

"No. This will be completely passive unless he becomes berserk. There will be no reinforcements, so we estimate that it will take about three days without breaks."

"He can barely stay awake now. How will he then?" I questioned.

"Let's just say that he's going to have a few extra helpings at breakfast time," Akira replied. Taishi grimaced.

"How are the operation ideas going?" Asked Taishi.

"He went through one month of extensive research starting the day after the raid of Anteiku. It was twenty four hours each day, every day. That's part of the reason he's not well right now. Basically, we know more about this kid than he knows about himself- Not that I want to sound cliche or anything. We should be able to start using the information in a month and the half." Akira turned to me. "You know that doctor I told you about? Shiba?"

"Yes." I unconsciously pulled at my sleeves.

"He has lots of ideas. I swear, you would love them."

"Akira, I'm pretty sure that his tin heart can't handle those sort of emotions," Taishi said with a smile. Akira also smiled for a brief second.

…

Akira and Taishi had been changing the bandages while I had been at work. However, not today. They had both been called in to deal with some giraffe or turtle-masquerader or whatever and I unfortunately happened to be free. _Where did my freedom go?_ I was enjoying the help. Sure, they had been freaked out at first. He said Akira puked and Akira said that he screamed like a girl, but they eventually got used to it.

Now I was alone. When I opened the front door, I immediately went to the radio and turned it on to whatever was playing. K-Pop. Not my favorite, but I would survive.

There he was. Sitting in the doorway of the spare room that I stored him in. I turned for my briefcase, only to find that I had left it in the car. I backed against the opposite wall. He looked around himself blindly. His right hand picked at the bandages on left arm. I reached for the frying pan set on the counter. You- You won't get away with this. Thinking back on it in the future, it all seemed sort of irrational. I, The Undefeated God of Death, was cowering like a maiden in distress.

"Stay back!" I yelled at him. He started shaking and I probably already was. Calm down, Arima. Where did your emotionless gaze go?

He clambered backwards, using his hands to drag him. He was noticeably bleeding in multiple places; the scars had reopened again. I'd kill him. I was sure it wouldn't be that hard. Then, my record would go back to perfect. It was me, wasn't it? I was the one who held the title of undefeated. Who else could claim that? Not even old Washuu*.

"I-I'm..." He mumbled. I tensed and raised the frying pan to my shoulder.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You can't defeat me!" I yelled. I stood up and stepped forward. "You're dead, you know that?"

"Wh-Who?" He asked. "I'm Haise Sasaki. Haise Sa-Sasaki. Sasaki."

"That's right," Said somebody behind me. "You are Haise Sasaki." I turned around quickly and Akira stood in the doorway. I lowered my weapon and she didn't greet me with her usual smile. "Arima."

"What are you doing here?" I asked. She was supposed to be at work. I was supposed to be handling Haise on my own today. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. It really wasn't. I looked down at the frying pan in my hands and is slipped from my hands, clattering on the stone floor.

"I got back as soon as possible. I got this feeling. I suppose you could call it a woman's intuition." She replied. "More importantly, what are you doing?"

"Forgive me," I mumbled.

"Who are you?" She asked again. I thought she was referring to me this time, but I turned and Haise was still lying there, curled up on himself. He tucked his head in tighter.

"Sasaki. Haise Sasaki," Came his wretched voice. I flinched at the sound. What a pathetic child. I didn't know how I could have ever been that frightened of him. He was simply weak and constantly on the verge of death.

"Good. Don't worry, you're alright. Are you in pain?" She asked. It was motherly really. Like a mother comforting her crying child. Except it couldn't possibly be that way. She stepped into his room and crouched beside him. I watched from where I was still standing in the dining room.

"All," He replied. He jumped when her hand touched his shoulder. I saw her slip her hand into her pocket. Something metal flashed for a second in her hand.

"So it hurts everywhere?" He nodded his head. "Who are you?"

"Haise Sasaki."

"I care for you very much, Haise. Everybody at the CCG cares for you and wants you to get better. Do you understand this?" She asked. She pulled the syringe out of her pocket and took the protective covering off. He nodded his head again.

"Thank you," He whispered. "Hurts."

She pushed the needle into his flesh and whispered something into his ear. Perhaps an apology or more comforting words. I wouldn't know. But like all the rest of the things she said, it was surely a lie.

It's hard to forgive the death of a father.

...

*Tsuneyoshi Washuu

Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews and follows. I appreciate them a lot.


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